# How long can you stand on one leg? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 6, 2016, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-can-you-stand-on-one-leg/754046 "2016-05-06T04:50:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Aspidistra](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspidistra/32/3894_2.png) [@Aspidistra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspidistra)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2016, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-can-you-stand-on-one-leg/754046/1 "2016-05-06T04:50:54Z")
Inspired by the [can you Asian Squat](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=791567) thread. Standing on one leg was one of the other body movement/balance things that came up in it, and while I was tooling around the web I came across [this blog post](https://posturemovementpain.com/2014/01/30/how-long-should-i-be-able-to-balance-on-one-leg/) about what’s normal for various ages. So … eyes closed I can pretty much hit the target for my age, but not much more, which is about what I’d suspect. And it’s interesting to see how much harder eyes closed is than eyes open, which I hadn’t really thought about before But what really surprised me was how relatively easy I found the eyes open test. As in … hit the target for the best age range (not mine) without half thinking about it … _doubled_ the target without really being in danger of falling … at that point I put my feet down not because I was going to overbalance, but my shin muscles were grouching and I was bored. But I reckon if you paid me ten bucks a minute I could probably reach the 3 minute mark. Average for the study was under 45 seconds. The protocol is: -Cross your arms across your chest -Lift up one foot, not too far from your other leg -Count from then till when you put your foot down, shift your balance foot, or wave your leg wildly to stay upright So - am I just weird, or well practised? Or were the people in that study unusually crap at standing on one leg? Poll to follow… ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2016, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-can-you-stand-on-one-leg/754046/2 "2016-05-06T05:07:15Z")
Much better than normal. Age 77. Three trials, eyes closed, 7, 8 and 15 secs. ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2016, 5:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-can-you-stand-on-one-leg/754046/3 "2016-05-06T05:10:16Z")
Deeply humbled: I thought I could do a minute easily. Nope: ten seconds, average. ---
**Author:** ![Arrogance\_Ex\_Machina](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/arrogance_ex_machina/32/192_2.png) [@Arrogance\_Ex\_Machina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arrogance_Ex_Machina)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2016, 5:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-can-you-stand-on-one-leg/754046/4 "2016-05-06T05:29:20Z")
2 minutes was easy but boring. Then I tried eyes shut but aborted after a few seconds because it felt there’s a chance to actually fall down and I’m not being paid enough for that. ---
**Author:** ![Rhiannon8404](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rhiannon8404/32/17929_2.png) [@Rhiannon8404](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhiannon8404)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2016, 5:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-can-you-stand-on-one-leg/754046/5 "2016-05-06T05:47:33Z")
Standing on my left leg, lifting right leg: over a minute before my leg got tired and foot started to cramp, but I didn’t lose my balance Standing on right leg, lifting left: 24 seconds. I have injured my right ankle numerous times and it is very weak. I’m 47. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Strangelove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.strangelove/32/6613_2.png) [@Dr.Strangelove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Strangelove)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2016, 5:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-can-you-stand-on-one-leg/754046/6 "2016-05-06T05:51:29Z")
Eyes open: easy. Did 5 minutes before getting bored. Was getting a tad painful but I could have gone much longer. The cat didn’t make things easier by brushing up against my leg. Eyes closed was much harder. 52 seconds was my best. About the same for both legs. Age 38. ---
**Author:** ![Rhiannon8404](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rhiannon8404/32/17929_2.png) [@Rhiannon8404](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhiannon8404)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2016, 5:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-can-you-stand-on-one-leg/754046/7 "2016-05-06T05:54:01Z")
> [@Dr.Strangelove](#): > > The cat didn’t make things easier by brushing up against my leg. Yeah, my dog was milling around and I was watching the hockey game instead of focusing on a point on the wall when I did mine. ---
**Author:** ![Aspidistra](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspidistra/32/3894_2.png) [@Aspidistra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspidistra)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2016, 8:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-can-you-stand-on-one-leg/754046/8 "2016-05-06T08:34:56Z")
> [@Arrogance\_Ex\_Machina](#): > > 2 minutes was easy but boring. Then I tried eyes shut but aborted after a few seconds because it felt there’s a chance to actually fall down and I’m not being paid enough for that. Yes, it’s amazing how much of a difference there is. You don’t realise till you try something like this how much you use your eyes for balance ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2016, 10:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-can-you-stand-on-one-leg/754046/9 "2016-05-06T10:09:47Z")
All I know is the judge told me I didn’t have a leg to stand on. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2016, 11:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-can-you-stand-on-one-leg/754046/10 "2016-05-06T11:18:47Z")
I have enough trouble standing on two legs. ---
**Author:** ![eclectic\_wench](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ac91a4/32.png) [@eclectic\_wench](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eclectic_wench)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2016, 11:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-can-you-stand-on-one-leg/754046/11 "2016-05-06T11:25:00Z")
I think the people in that study must have been unusually crap at standing on one leg. I got bored after three minutes with my eyes open, but I wasn’t in any danger of losing balance. 32 seconds with eyes closed. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2016, 11:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-can-you-stand-on-one-leg/754046/12 "2016-05-06T11:59:37Z")
Someone else’s leg(dead)-hours. Someone else’s leg(live)-2/3 second. My own leg-3 minutes. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2016, 12:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-can-you-stand-on-one-leg/754046/13 "2016-05-06T12:02:22Z")
Until I get the other leg into my pants. ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2016, 12:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-can-you-stand-on-one-leg/754046/14 "2016-05-06T12:17:13Z")
Another vote for recruiting subjects by a flyer posted in the waiting room at Walter Reed Army Medical Center somehow selected for people with poor balance. 56 years old and can fairly easily get past a minute with eyes closed. ---
**Author:** ![iljitsch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/77aa72/32.png) [@iljitsch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iljitsch)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2016, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-can-you-stand-on-one-leg/754046/15 "2016-05-06T13:02:09Z")
I clicked \> 1 min before I read the small print. With eyes closed and arms crossed it’s remarkably difficult, and starting/stopping the stopwatch doesn’t help. What’s the age target? ---
**Author:** ![monstro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@monstro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monstro)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2016, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-can-you-stand-on-one-leg/754046/16 "2016-05-06T13:06:12Z")
No, I can’t. My poor balance doesn’t allow it. ---
**Author:** ![Aspidistra](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspidistra/32/3894_2.png) [@Aspidistra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspidistra)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2016, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-can-you-stand-on-one-leg/754046/17 "2016-05-06T13:11:59Z")
> [@iljitsch](#): > > I clicked \> 1 min before I read the small print. > > With eyes closed and arms crossed it’s remarkably difficult, and starting/stopping the stopwatch doesn’t help. > > What’s the age target? In the blog post it lists how long an average person of various age groups can stand on one leg, both eyes open and closed. The “eyes open” one is remarkably consistent at 40-45 seconds until the subjects hit 60, at which point their scores start heading for the pit. Maybe the researchers just told everyone who made it to 45sec “ok you can stop now” ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2016, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-can-you-stand-on-one-leg/754046/18 "2016-05-06T13:47:34Z")
> [@Aspidistra](#): > > … Maybe the researchers just told everyone who made it to 45sec “ok you can stop now” Yes they did. Link to the article in the blog post and from the article: > [@](#): > > Time ended when the subject either: (1) used his arms (ie, uncrossed arms), (2) used the raised foot (moved it toward or away from the standing limb or touched the floor), (3) moved the weight-bearing foot to maintain his balance (ie, rotated foot on the ground), (4) a maximum of 45 seconds had elapsed, or (5) opened eyes on eyes closed trials ---
**Author:** ![Aspidistra](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspidistra/32/3894_2.png) [@Aspidistra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspidistra)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2016, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-can-you-stand-on-one-leg/754046/19 "2016-05-06T14:09:09Z")
Ah! I don’t suppose the blog writer has really cottoned on to this point then. Because he’s saying the times “stay in the 40s” till middle age - but that’s not really the case - it could be averaging 10 minutes for a 20 year old, for all we know! (ok, unlikely…) 45 seconds seems an odd number to choose ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctor_jackson/32/32_2.png) [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2016, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-can-you-stand-on-one-leg/754046/20 "2016-05-06T14:30:32Z")
With eyes open I can stand on my left foot almost indefinitely. It’s a balance drill I used and taught to baseball pitchers for many years, so I’ve done it thousands of times. Eyes closed, not so much. I had never attempted that before. I’m 52. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-can-you-stand-on-one-leg/754046.md?page=2)